Active Melody

Learn to play blues guitar.

Use chord shapes from The CAGED System to play solo Blues guitar – Blues guitar lesson – EP578

Description

In this week’s guitar lesson, you’ll learn a solo blues composition that gives you something really fun to play, while providing a great way to practice chord positions from The CAGED System.

Part 1 - Free Guitar Lesson

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Slow Walkthrough

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Comments

  3. Joseph C says

    Brian, this is a good lesson. I recently went back to retake the 5-part CAGED series lessons to begin and integrate the patterns in the 5 shapes. This lesson is helpful to have something relatively simple to follow along with that integrates each of the 5 positions.

    In the final D lesson of the CAGED series, your song was great and I learned to play it but was totally overwhelmed with keeping track of switching from Major, Minor and Mixolydian. I want to do this, and sometimes I accidentally do it and now I know why it sounds good, but practically speaking, I need smaller bite sized pieces to get comfortable. This lesson is just that size! Thanks Keep it coming!

  9. Jeff H says

    Hi Brian, greetings from this cold, wet winter Saturday in Melbourne. Another great lesson, I love exploring the construction of these compositions. Very clever, and Inspiring. I always wonder what you have for us each week. Thank you.

  10. ROBERT M says

    Brian, just great I got so much out of this and your right, a lot of this you have done one way or another and some of it sticks, not all but it becomes easier as the lessons roll on. You are a great teacher.

  13. charjo says

    Brian,
    Your final thoughts are so true to my own experience. I feel like I’m just getting to that big “sticking” point from the repetition in about 500 lessons. I can’t imagine how I could have gotten this far without you hammering these concepts over and over in your amazing teaching style.
    John

    • Brian says

      I’d say 11 gauge would be good for an acoustic light gauge… you won’t be able to bend the same as electric, but you should be able to bend them a little bit. you have to treat bending on acoustic different than electric.

  15. Paul N says

    Absolutey awesome Brian! Thanks so much for the work you put into this! Your comments about the data going in and out, and sooner or later some of it will stick, describes eactly what I am going with your lessons. This lesson really reinforced that idea to me, and when you stated that, I found that very encouraging. When you talk about the 6 & 9 chords, tying everything to the shapes, the Dim chords, etc. – I’ve seen all this before in prior lessons (taken almost all), but now I’m starting to remember them. And starting to incorporate them into my own “jam sessions”. This is definitely one of my all time favorites! For me it’s never too much material – simply because “some of it will stick”!

  18. Robert M says

    Great lesson. Really liked the different ideas for each of the shapes in the Caged system. Makes learning and remembering them more manageable. Your insights and ideas make learning fun.

  19. Lyn C says

    Great lesson.. you cover so many techniques such as using dim7 chords for tension, and moving from F7 to F6 to F9 for an interesting sound. Some of this is finally starting to stick. Like all your lessons, this is extremely helpful. Thanks Brian.

  20. Max d says

    I heard the first 56 seconds of your weekly lesson EP578 and knew immediately why I’ve been a faithful member of Activemelody for the past four or so years! You give new ideas each week (even if its still the same ol’ fretboard!), encouraging tutorials to coerce us into our own improvisations, and great material to work with and practice. Don’t know how you do it to keep us – me – engaged and interested!? Magic! Thank you all the way from Australia, Brian!

  21. Tremelow says

    As always, I throughly enjoyed this lesson. For me now (thanks to you), the CAGED system is THE way to go. I would constantly get lost on the fretboard if it wasn’t for these three to five anchors, ie the CAGED chords. I particularly like how you add different chord voicings to your compositions (6-chords, 9-chords and – tasty – diminished chords). I am looking forward to what lies ahead.

  22. Patrick J. G says

    Learning the cage system from your lessons took a little while, probably because I never heard about before. We didn’t have internet back then. Like anything else once I get it , I got it. That’s because in your lessons your explain it repeatedly. If you didn’t explain the way you do I would never have learned it. I have to keep studying it and it keeps sinking in. Perfect practice makes perfect. I’ll never be perfect but I sure am enjoying the heck trying. So grateful I saw you on YouTube a few years ago and joined. Working on all those other parts like the sixths and ninths, etc. but I know if I just keep studying your lessons I” ll get there.

  25. Two Below says

    Great tie-in with the A and G shapes leading to the major pentatonic scale. It’s been there all along and I’ve (semi-knowingly?) used part of it but needed you to lay it out clearly.

  26. Michael G says

    Brian…thank you for another great lesson. Absolutely love your teaching style and how you explain how. the notes are related to the chord. I continue to learn and pick up ideas from each of your lessons.

  27. Kevin S says

    Really good stuff, Brian. I’m an old guy, so the steady, long-term build approach that you take has me finally getting it. (Been a daily visiter since I joined back around lesson 375) So there it is fellow oldsters, the computer doesn’t really care how quickly it is programmed, just that it’s programmed correctly. You’re plying your craft at the highest level man, Thanks

  29. Jerry P says

    I always learn something new on any cage system lesson. Either a new connection on the. Fret board. Or just solidifying one I almost had. This lesson did both . Thank you very much! Sometimes I have to hear things over and over before it finally sinks in . perfect lesson!

  30. Jay F says

    Awesome Brian…as usual.
    I secretly hope for an occasional lesson that I am not interested in because I never feel like I have enough time to really absorb each weeks lesson….but all of your recent lessons have been very useful and helpful to me……so I have plenty to catch up on 🙂

    • Michael H says

      Hi Andy I play mostly fingerstyle but use a thumb pick like Chet and Tommy Emmanuel I find it particularly useful for the double stops with thumb and index finger
      But you can definitely play anyway that’s good for you
      Also as Brian says the lesson is more about the concepts and theory and making it your own
      Happy Picking

    • Michael H says

      Brian purchased a bridge from Stew Mac that allows him to adjust the length of the string fine tuning

      Intonation on a guitar refers to the accuracy of the pitch of each fretted note along the fretboard. When a guitar is properly intonated, each note played will be in tune all the way up and down the neck.

      To check the intonation of your guitar, you will need an electronic tuner. Here’s how to do it:

      1. Tune your guitar to standard tuning using the tuner.
      2. Play the 12th fret harmonic on any string. This is done by lightly touching the string directly above the 12th fret and picking the note without pressing the string down.
      3. Check the tuner to see if the pitch is in tune. It should be exactly the same as the corresponding open string.
      4. Now, fret the note at the 12th fret (press the string down) and check the tuner again. It should also be in tune.
      5. If the fretted note is sharp or flat compared to the harmonic, you will need to adjust the saddle position on the bridge of your guitar.
      6. To adjust the intonation, use a screwdriver to move the saddle back (towards the bridge) if the note is sharp or forward (towards the neck) if the note is flat.
      7. Retune the string and repeat the process until the fretted note at the 12th fret is in tune with the harmonic.

      Checking and adjusting the intonation regularly will ensure that your guitar plays in tune and sounds its best.

  39. Tom B says

    Hello Brian, Another absolutely excellent lesson. I appreciate the time you spend on discussing the guitar you are using as well as the string gauge. It is so enjoyable looking forward to learning from each of your lessons. I appreciate the creative inspirational approach you take.

    Question for you do you also offer a bass guitar lesson program? If not do you
    know of another online bass guitar instructor you would recommend who is similar to your approach of teaching six string guitar?

  40. Andy D says

    Wonderful as always, Brian. Stuffed full of nice ideas – some familiar (don’t stop them – I need reminding), some new. You’re just a font of music – and a great teacher. Thank you!

  42. Timothy D says

    Hi Brian,

    Great lesson, I especially like all of the E-Chord shape lick/rhythm ideas you point out as you go through the lesson along with the 6th/9th chords and associated CAGED shapes.

    Best regards,

    Tim

  43. Rick S says

    I’m an old geezer and have tried to play a guitar for years and couldn’t put stuff together. Now my family and neighbors notice how much I have improved. I am starting to make some sense out this stuff. I find all your lessons very helpful. I actually spend hours everyday playing. Thanks Brian

  44. Paul K says

    Hi Brian.

    Thanks so much for your lessons. Love the depth of knowledge explained so well in bite size lessons. I went to a blues guitar retreat in the UK last month and most of us had either heard of you or subscribed. Those that had not were encouraged to sign up.

    Keep up the great work. Paul UK

  47. Ronald S says

    Brian,
    The ES 175 is awesome! Thanks for discussing it. This was another outstanding lesson around the CAGE system! Great tie-in to the 6th & 9th chords & minor pentatonic scale. The way you reinforce those concepts in your lessons and compositions is very helpful in making me realize that –yeah–it’s all right there in front of me!

    Ron S.

  48. Leeor F says

    OUTSTANDING lesson Brian! In fact, I’d venture to say this lesson was the most useful to me of the couple dozen of yours I have studied. Speaking personally, I think it’s pretty easy to find pentatonic scales and triad shapes etc on the web, but how you demonstrate the weaving together, a defined rhythm/motif, the chord progressions, connecting the positions, and especially the 6th, 9th, and diminished chords in context, is so useful to me. Cheers

  50. David B says

    Hey Brian,

    Great mix of ideas and licks….. so true at the end of video 2. The licks are used then forgotten but they do resurface in my playing and I’ve got you to thank for that. I can’t wait for a bank load of these connections between the IV, V & I chords to keep my guitar sound more musical and polished. Much appreciated.

    David B.

  52. Max d says

    Surely some “of them” will stick…? Great lesson, and very interesting to bring in these weird transition chords. It would great to get a lesson on the make up of these, say C9/E, Cmin7b5, F#dim7, as you make them fun to include, but gloss over what notes makes them up and why, including who uses them (other then T Bone Walker!). Thanks again.

  56. Daniel M says

    I have loved all of your lessons, Brian. You always have so much to give! I also appreciate your eternal optimism that we’ll get better with time, as we commit to the practice routine. Thank you!

  63. James C says

    WOW – I might be a late bloomer on this lesson, but DO NOT sleep on this one. Keep up the great work Brian, you are even getting someone as slow as me to comprehend this stuff. Thanks

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